Georgians victim of human trafficking in Turkey

TBILISI, DFWatch – An organization in Georgia has revealed video footage showing the working conditions of Georgians in Turkey.

Merab Ghoghoberidze, head of Information Center for Georgia’s Fight against Corruption in Batumi, told Interpressnews that Georgians contacted him from Turkey reporting about the situation of their fellow citizens there. He decided to go there himself, and to do it the same way as the victims had done.

There is some person called Tengo, who Merab says is selling Georgians, and he is paid 250-300 lari for each person.

“Some representative of Tengo waited for me there, he took me to some enterprise and they sold me for 250 laris. This was a shock to me.”

In an interview with Interpressnews he recounts that the slaves are only given food once a day and they have to work for nearly 24 hours. They are given special white pills, which is said to give them more energy and prevents them from getting tired.

The slaves are forced to stay at least until the employer earns the money they have paid for each of them.

Merab says they take away their passports and lock them in the plant after working hours. They have to sleep on the floor under the tables. The factories are located in places where you have to walk for at least two hours to get to the Georgian embassy.

Many want to leave these places but can’t, as they are locked in. Some are ashamed of their being there because of their mentality, Merab says. They can’t reveal to their relatives under what conditions they are living.

He went to a lot of trouble in order to leave the place and get back to Georgia. After getting back, he informed the Turkish embassy in Georgia and is now waiting for a response from the Georgian government.